It's certainly been an up-and-down year in the seafood world. But Dannon Southall of 10th & M Seafoods says your Labor Day grill can still be a seafood destination.

"Fresh coho/silver salmon are coming in daily from around the state and are a wonderful barbecuing fish," Southall says. "If flatfish is what you are looking to grace your grill grates with, we will have fresh 10- to 20-pound headed and cleaned halibut. Fillets and cheeks will also be available. … Toward the end of the week live oysters from several spots around the state will be in-house."

Coho are $5.50 per pound for headed and cleaned fish or $8.95/pound for fillets. The headed and cleaned halibut are $9.75/pound for the whole fish.

Loaded farmers markets

As the calendar turns to September, local farmers are ramping up their gathering of crops. One common theme: carrots!

"The abundance of everything continues and everything is bigger each week despite the frequent rain," Barbara Landi of the South Anchorage Farmers Markets. "More carrots and bigger carrots, though the main carrot harvest is yet to come."

Says Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics and the Anchorage Farmers Market: "Carrots were a smash hit last weekend. We're hoping to repeat it this weekend. The good news is that as we get the carrots thinned and weeded again, they are responding with almost instantaneous growth!"

Center Market: Alex Davis of AD Farm has "lots of pork fat for making burger, bratwurst or sausage out of your caribou or moose" for successful hunters. He has lots of other pork cuts, along with sugar snap peas, green beans, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes and new-to-the-market pickled beets.

South Anchorage Farmers Markets: "New potatoes so moist and delicious are available, though the machine harvest of all potatoes will come later. Enormous zucchini are also on hand, for those who appreciate big squash," Landi says. She also says Northern Fruits will have hardy berry plants. TheWednesday market features five farmers with potatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, lettuces, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, herbs and jars of various pickled products.

Thankful Thursdays: Look for items from three vendors this week–Harvest Point Farms with microgreens and sustainable veggies; Elderberry Essentials with a variety of items, including new Elderberry glyceride tinctures; and Farm 779 with fermented cucumber slices sourced from Harvest Point Farm, along with fermented jalapeno peppers.

Mountain View Farmers Market: Market Manager Khalid Abdulahi says to look for chicken and veggie kabobs, burgers and hotdogs from GMA's Café, and plenty of vegetables from Black Bear Farms, Fresh International Gardens and the Vang Family Farm.